MIKHAIL KHROMOV: RETIREMENT PENSION DOES NOT GUARANTEE COMFORT LIFE AT SENIOR AGE
Mikhail Khromov, Head of Financial Studies Department of the Gaidar Institute, took part in the round table discussion dedicated to presentation of VCIOM (Russian Public Opinion Research Center) research “Readiness of citizens to use various financial instruments in order to provide income in addition to pension.”
Survey showed that 58% of respondents are aware of various alternatives to compulsory labor taxes. Respondents mainly concentrate on conservative methods of saving. Thus, 23% of Russian citizens plan or should like to open bank account so that to secure additional income on pension, 21% intend to save on their own in cash Rubles or hard currency, 18% wish to invest in property. Another 10% of respondents consider investment life insurance or contributions to non-state pension funds (NPFs), and 8% consider accumulative insurance.
Mikhail Khromov said: «Everybody understands that labor pension itself does not guarantee comfort life at senior age.
Most of Russians (53%) think that the more ways for saving and providing additional income exist, the more profitable it for citizens. However, they consider state guarantees and tight control as main conditions for saving.
M. Khromov noted that he did not see contradiction between results of the survey proving interest of Russians in development of various forms of pension savings alternative to state pensions, and increase of the debt load of Russian population in recent years.
According to expert, this means different income groups of Russian households. Russians having average or below average income are more prone to loans as was to maintain certain standard of living while development of measures on additional pension income is intended mainly on representatives of the top level of middle class, i.e. on more well-to-do population groups.
Mikhail Khromov said: «Everybody understands that labor pension itself does not guarantee comfort life at senior age.
Most of Russians (53%) think that the more ways for saving and providing additional income exist, the more profitable it for citizens. However, they consider state guarantees and tight control as main conditions for saving.
M. Khromov noted that he did not see contradiction between results of the survey proving interest of Russians in development of various forms of pension savings alternative to state pensions, and increase of the debt load of Russian population in recent years.
According to expert, this means different income groups of Russian households. Russians having average or below average income are more prone to loans as was to maintain certain standard of living while development of measures on additional pension income is intended mainly on representatives of the top level of middle class, i.e. on more well-to-do population groups.